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Sakuraba To Take On Randleman At Final Conflict

LOS ANGELES, California – At a press conference from the Takada Dojo in Tokyo, PRIDE FC’s General Manager Nobuhiko Takada announced that Kazushi Sakuraba will be taking on Kevin Randleman at PRIDE FC: FINAL CONFLICT, scheduled for November 9th, 2003 from the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

The match-up will have no relation to the middleweight tournament, as an official reserve match will be announced soon. Both Sakuraba and Randleman are coming off of tough losses and looking to re-establish themselves in the rankings. Sakuraba is representing the Takada Dojo, while Randleman is fighting out of Mark Coleman’s Hammer House Gym.

In addition, the fight card also features top ranked heavyweight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against former PRIDE FC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira. Due to a thumb injury to reigning champion Emelianenko Fedor, the Cro Cop/Nogueira match-up is for the PRIDE FC interim heavyweight championship, with the winner to face Fedor in 2004. Nogueira, arguably the world’s top heavyweight grappler, is coming off a decision victory against Ricco Rodriguez while Cro Cop, arguably the world’s top heavyweight striker, is coming off of a dramatic knockout victory over Igor Vovchanchyn.

All of these new matches are in addition to the middleweight tournament, which will feature Hidehiko Yoshida versus Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson against Chuck Liddell. The winners of each of these match-ups will go on to the final round, which will be held on the same evening.

More matches for FINAL CONFLICT will be announced soon.
Fight Card is subject to change.

FINAL CONFLICT is scheduled for November 9th, 2003 from the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The event will premiere on North American pay per view (through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer’s Choice) on November 9th via same day delay.